Web-perfecting press.



P'ATRNTED APR. 7, 190s.

J. L. FIRM. WEB PERPEGTING'PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1902.

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No. 724,456. PATENTED APR. 7, 1903.

' J. L. FIRM.

WEB PBRFEGTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1902.

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I Z 7% fizz/6m i UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

.iosnrri L. FIRM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIe O TO THE eoss PRINTINGPRESS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WEB-PERFECTING PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 724,456, dated April7,1903.

Application filed May 5, 1902. Serial No. 105,987. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. FIRM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookv and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Web-PerfectingPresses, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying draw- Ings.

My invention relates to Web perfecting printing-presses adapted to printfrom a plurality of rolls; and one of its objects is. to provide a newand useful arrangement of the printing mechanisms of each series of formand impression cylinders whereby each printing mechanism will consist ofan upper deck,

- composed of two form cylinders and one impression-cylinder, with theirinking-rolls, and a lower deck, composed of two form and two therebyemploying a less number of impression-cylinders than is ordinarily usedand providing a new and improved arrangement of printing-cylinderswhereby each set of 5 two webs in the ordinary way or may be used toprint one web in colors upon one side and in black or another color uponthe other.

Another object of my invention is the improvement of multirollweb-perfecting presses in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

That which I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of apress. Fig.2 is a detail showing one of the printing mechanisms as usedin the printing of a web in colors; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail,being a view of part of the gearing of one of the printing mechanismsand showing the shiftable gear connections.

In the drawings my printing-press as I prefer to embody it consists of'four printing mechanisms A, B, G, and D, capable of printing,respectively, rolls E and F, G and H, I and K, and L and M. These foursets of printing mechanism, as is shown in Fig. 1, are arranged facingeach other with the rolls of paper upon the outside at each end and each50 provided with a folding mechanism 4 5, which impression cylinders,with their inking-rolls,

printing mechanism may be used to perfect face each other between thetwo groups of presses. Each printing mechanism, as is shown, consists oftwo decks, an upper deck, consisting of two form-cylinders andoneimpression-cylinder, and a lower deck, consisting of two form and twoimpression cylinders, with their appropriate inking apparatus.

Referring to printing mechanism A, 6 7 indicate form-cylinders. 8indicates an impression-cylinder located between and coopcrating withthe two form-cylinders 6 and 7. 9 10 indicate inking apparatus, whichmay be of any approved and well-known formand construction and needs nofurther descrip tion here. In the lower deck of printing mechanism A, ll12 indicate form-cylinders. 13 indicates an impression-cylindercooperating with form-cylinder 11. 14 indicates an impression-cylindercooperating withformcylinder 12. 15 16 indicate inking mechanisms of anywell-known and approved form and construction.

In the press B the upper deck consists of form-cylinders 17 18, animpression-cylinder 19, cooperating with both form-cylinders 17 18,and-inking mechanism 2021. The lower deck consists of form-cylinders 2223, impressioncylinders 24 25, and inking mechanisms 26 27.

In printing mechanism 0 the upper deck consists of form-cylinders 28 29,cooperating impression-cylinder 30, and inking mechanisms 31 32. Thelower deck consists of formcylinders 33 34, impression-cylinders 35 36,and inking mechanisms 37 38.

In press D the upper deck consists of formcylinders 39 40,impression-cylinder .41, and inking mechanisms 42 43. The lower deckconsists of form-cylinders 44 45, impressioncylinders 46 47, and inkingmechanisms 48 49.

It will be seen that the four printing mechanisms A, B, O, and D are allexactly alike in their construction and operation, arranged as shown inFig. 1, with two superposed mechanisms upon one side facing twosuperposed mechanisms upon the other. 7

When the presses are used to perfect webs of paper in the ordinaryway'-that is to say, without the use of colorsthe webs run as shown inFig; 1.

In printing mechanism A web E passes under roller 50, under and partlyaround roller 51, between form-cylinder 6 and impressioncylinder 8,where it is printed upon one side by form-cylinder 6. It then passesover roller 52, over roller 53, under and partly around roller 54, overand partially around roller'55, downward between impression-cylinders 13and 14, which are slightly separated, as shown in the drawings, underand partially around impression-cylinder 14, and between saidimpression-cylinder 14 and form-cylinder 12, where it is printed uponthe other side. It then passes over roller 56, between rollers 57, 58,and59, and downward between rollers and 61 to the longitudinal folder.4, where it is folded and afterward disposed of in the usual well-knownway.

Web F passes over roller 62, under roller 63, between form-cylinder 6and impressioncylinder 8, underneath web E, which prevents it from beingprinted by form-cylinder 6. It then passes over impression-cylinder 8and between it and form-cylinder 7, where it is printed upon one side byform-cylinder 7. It thence passes downward between form-cylinder 11 andimpression-cylinder 13, where it is printed upon the other side, underroller 64, between rollers 65 and 66, where it meets web E, betweenrollers 60 and 61 in registry with said web E, and downward over the longitudinal folding mechanism 4, to be disposed of in the usual manner.

Webs G and H, I and K, and L and M pass, respectively, through theprinting mechanisms B, G, and D in the same manner and are dealt withand perfected in the same way as Webs E and F are printed by printingmechanism A.

WVeb G is printed upon one side by formoylinder 17 and after passingover and under several rollers 67, 68, 69, and is printed upon the otherside by form-cylinder 23, coacting with impression -cylinder 25, passesover roller 71, betweenrollers 72, 73, and 74, whence it passes upwardbetween rollers 61 and 66 to meet the product of press A.

Web H, passing over rollers and 76,

passes between web G and'impression-cylinder. 19, is printed upon oneside by form-cylinder 1-8, upon the other side by form-cylinder 22, andthence, passing under roller 77 and between rollers 78 and 79, passesupward between rollers 73 and 74 and 61 and 66 to meet in registry theother webs.

Web I is printed upon one side by formcylinder 28, upon the other sideby form-cylinder 34, and passing over sundry rollers, which it is notnecessary to further describe or refer to, as they are in all respectsdupli cates of the rollers described in the presses upon the other side,goes to longitudinal fold- Y ing mechanism 5 where it is disposed of inthe usual way.

Web K, passing over sundry rollers in its course, passes between web Iand impressioncylinder 30, is printed upon one side by formcylinder 29,on the other side by form-cylinder 33, and meeting the web I betweenrollers 80 and 81 in registry passes with it to the folder 5.

Web L is printed upon one side by formcylinder 39, upon the other sideby form-cylinder 45, and, passing between rollers 82 and 83, passesupward and meets the other web between rollers 80 and 81.

Web M, passing underneath web L and between it and theimpression-cylinder 41, is printed upon one side by form-cylinder 40,upon the other side by fornrcylinder 44, and, passing between rollers 84and S5, 86 and 87, meets the other web between rollers 80 and 81 inregistry therewith.

The course of the webs and the direction of rotation of the. severalform and impression cylinders are shown in Fig. l by arrows.

As is shown in the drawings, impression-cylinders 13 and 14, 24 and 25,35 and 36, and 46 and 47 are separated from one another and are notgeared together. The gearing arrangement of each of these several setsof impression-cylinders is best shown in Fig. 3, which for illustrationmay be taken to be the gearing upon press B, (shown at Fig. 2,) beingduplicated upon each of the other presses A, C, and D. Theimpression-cylinder 24 gears with form-cylinder 22 and theimpressioncylinder 25 with form-cylinder 23.' The impression-cylinders24 and 25 do not gear together.

88 indicates agear which is mounted upon a longitudinally-movable rod 89in bearings 90. The rod 89 is moved longitudinally of itself by means ofa hand-lever 91, which is when the parts are in the position shown inFig. 3 the impression-cylinders 24 and 25 will be rotated in thedirection shown by solid arrows thereon, which is the direction ofrotation of said impression-cylinders shown in Fig. 1, the webs beingrun as hereinabove described.

92 93 indicate two interrneshing gears of equal size, which arerotatably mounted upon a cross-bar 94 on the rod 89 and which by theupward motion of said rod 89 are capable of being moved into mesh withthe gears on the impression-cylinders 24 and 25. This upward movement ofthe rod 89 will cause gear 92 to mesh with the gear onimpression-cylinder 24 and the gear 93 to mesh with the gear onimpression-cylinder 25, lifting the gear 88 out of mesh with saidimpression-cylinder gears. The result of this will be that,impression-cylinder 24 continuing to rotate in the same direction asheretofore, the direction of rotation of impression-cylinder 25 and ingweb H in colors. In this case web H,

passing over roller 75 and under roller 76,

passes upward between form-cylinder 17 and impression-cylinder 19,where, the web G being removed, it is printed upon one side byform-cylinder 17 in one color, then passing over impression-cylinder 19,between it and form-cylinder 18, it is printed by form-cylinder 18 witha second color upon the same side as the first color impression byformcylinder 17. It then passes under roller 95, over roller 70, aroundim pression-cylinder 25, between said impression-cylinder and formcylinder 23, which, rotating in the direction shown by arrows in Fig. 2and by dotted arrows in Fig. 3, prints a third color from formcylinder23 upon the same side as the two previous color impressions. Passingthence downward under impression-cylinder 25, the web passes across itand over impressioncylinder 24, between it and form-cylinder 22, whereit is printed upon the reverse side, either in black or with a singlecolor, as the case may be. The web thus perfected upon one side incolors and upon the other side in black or in one color passes underroller 77,

between rollers 78 and 79, upward between rollers 61 and 66, where itmeets the product of press A in registry therewith and passes downwardover the longitudinal folding and delivery mechanism 4:. I havedescribed this arrangement of the press for printing in colors and therun of the web therethrough only in connection with printing mechanism Band for purposes of illustration, It will be perfectly obvious, however,that printing mechanism A, printing mechanism 0, or printing mechanismD, being precisely like printing mechanism B, may be used in the samemanner as above described for printing mechanism B. Any one of the fourprinting mechanisms A, B, C, or D may be used in this way, ortwo, three,or all may be used in the same way. In case only one is used it will beobvious that the printing mechanism shown in Fig. 1 will print six websin the ordinary manner and one color-web in the manner last described.The one web thus printed in colors may, as said above, come from anyoneof the four printing mechanisms. In case two of the printing mechanismsare used for printing colors the press shown in Fig. 1

' is capable of printing four webs in the ordinary way and two webs incolors, and so on. Moreover, the product of either one of the two setsof presses upon each side of the folding mechanism may be led over tothe folding mechanism upon the other press, and thus the product of allfour printing mechanisms and 'of the entire number of webs used, whethereight, seven, six, 850., may be brought in registry with one another andfolded sim ultaneously over either one of the folding mechanisms. Forinstance, the product of presses G and D, or either of them,instead ofpassing down over folding and delivery mechanism 5 may'be led across thepress over roller and between rollers 60 and 61 in registry with thewebs perfected by printing mechanisms A and B, or the webs perfected byeither or both of the presses A and B instead of passing downward overfolding and delivery mechanism 4 may be led across thepress, over roller80, between it and roller 81,

where it will meet the product of the other presses in registry and befolded with said product and delivered by folding mechanisrn5.

It will be seen from the above description that each one of the severalprinting mechanisms A, B, C, andD is capable of printing upon its twodecks, consisting one of one impression and two form cylinders and theother of two form and two impression cylinders, either two webs in theordinary way or one web with three colors upon one side and blackmechanism adapted to lead two superposed webs between one of theform-cylinders and the coacting impression-cylinder of said firstnamedset of printing-couples, whereby one Web will beprinted upon one side,mechanism for leading the other web between the said impression-cylinderand the other formcylinder of said first set of printing-couples,whereby said web will be printed upon one side, and mechanism adapted tolead each web between a form-cylinder and coacting impression-cylinderof said second set, whereby both webs will be printed upon the otherside, substantially as described.

2. In a web-perfecting press, the combination with a set ofprinting-couples consisting of two form-cylinders and one coactingimpression-cylinder, and a second set of printing-couples consisting oftwo form-cylinders and two coacting impression-cylinders, of mechanismadapted to lead two superposed webs between one of the form-cylindersand the coacting impression-cylinder of saidfirst-- named set ofprinting-couples, whereby one web will be printed upon one side,mechanism for leading the other web between the said impression-cylinderand the otherform-cyle inder of said first set of printing-couples,

whereby said web will be printed upon one side, mechanism adapted tolead each web between a form-cylinder and coactingimpression-cylinderofsaid second set, whereby both webs will be printedupon the other side,

tation of one form-cylinder and one coacting impression cylinder of saidsecond set of printing-couples, and mechanism adapted to' lead a singleweb between the printing-cowples of both sets of printing mechanism suc=-mechanism for reversing the direction of ro- 9 cessively, whereby oneweb may be printed upon one side in black and upon the other side in aplurality of colors, substantially as described. v

3. In a web-perfecting press, two sets of printing mechanisms arrangedin the same vertical plane with their delivery ends facing each other,and provided each with a folding and delivery mechanism, each of saidsets of printing mechanism consisting of a deck of printing-cylinderscomprising two form-cylinders and'one coacting impression-cylinder, asecond deck of printing-cylinders comprising two form-cylinders and twocoacting impression-cylinders, and means for reversing the direction ofrotation of one form-cylinder and one coacting impression-cylinder insaid second deck, whereby said printing mechanism may perfect two webssimultaneously, or may print one side of a single web with a pluralityof colors and the other side in black or a single color, substantiallyas described.

4. In a web-perfecting printing-press, the

combination with a series of superposed sets of printing mechanisms, ofa second series of tially as described.

superposed sets of printing mechanisms, said two series of superposedsets of printing mechanisms lying in the same vertical plane and withtheir delivery ends facing each other, each series of sets of superposedprint- J ing mechanisms being provided with its own folding and deliverymechanism, each set of said superposedprinting mechanism consisting of adeck of printing-cylinders comprising two form-cylindersand one coactingim- JOSEPH L. FIRM.

t Witnesses:

O, E. PICKARD, JULIA M. BRISTOL.

